Anyone who has worn any type of braces before can tell you the simple truth: it hurts, at least for a few days!
Eating crunchy chips or veggie sticks? Might as well chew on glass shards! Yes, it can be an agonising experience for the first few days of wearing invisible braces. This is because your teeth are adjusting to your new aligners.
So if invisible aligners hurt, are they even worth the pain at all? Yes and yes! Here’s why.
What causes invisible aligner pain?
Typically, the pain comes from the pressure that invisible aligners apply on your teeth. You’ll probably only feel it when you’re wearing the aligners or when you’re putting them on or taking them off.
There’s a chance you’ll feel pain each time you change to a new set of aligners. After all, they apply a whole new kind of pressure to gradually move your teeth into a specific position.
Sometimes, invisible aligners hurt because they also irritate the soft tissues in your gums by rubbing against them, despite being typically less irritating than metal braces.
Are your invisible aligners rubbing against your gums? Ask your dentist if they can trim the aligners for you. Avoid doing this yourself because you might damage your aligners or trim them to the point where they lose their effectiveness.
No pain, no gain?
There is a famous quote by a U.S. Marine officer who said, “Pain is weakness leaving the body.”
Some people look for that feeling of sore muscles the day after a workout to know if they pushed themselves enough physically. Similarly, sore teeth means that your aligners are applying enough pressure on your teeth so that they can start shifting into straighter positions – for a smile that will last you for the long term.
This doesn’t mean that you should ignore any unusual pain though!
Just like sharp or intense pain in the muscles can mean you might have injured yourself during a workout, if your clear aligners hurt intensely, that can mean your aligners don’t fit properly or that they may be cutting into your gums.
Your friendly Zenyum dentist can help you get a new set of aligners or shave down the open ends so that they don’t cut into your gums.
Barring those unfortunate exceptions, some soreness or pain is a good sign that your aligners are working (hurray!). The pain is temporary and at the end of your invisible aligners journey you have a permanent set of straighter teeth and a beautiful smile for the rest of your life.
Tips to ease that invisible aligner pain
Need some sweet sweet relief from that invisible aligner agony? Here’s a couple of tips to help lighten that load.
- Wear a new set of aligners just before you go to sleep so that your teeth can get used to them overnight – and you’ll wake up with less soreness.
- Avoid eating anything hard or crunchy for the first few days when you’re wearing a new set of aligners. Don’t clench your teeth if you can as that can cause you to feel pain.
Like they say, it won’t rain forever – if you can weather the storm, you’ll come out with a reason to Smile More.
You’re now armed with all the info you need to combat what might be the only drawback to invisible aligners. Huzzah!
Now, make sure you don’t forget to take your free smile assessment below. No use getting all these tips if you’re not going to put them to use right?
Pain is temporary, but results are forever
Zenyum braces unleash your brightest and most beautiful smile.
